This invention relates generally to a new and improved head-protective helmet and more particularly relates to a new and improved head-protective helmet which may be embodied as a firefighter's helmet, a head-protective helmet for EMS personnel, firemen, policemen, and the like. This invention also relates to a new and improved mounting member particularly useful for mounting head-protective helmet components together. This invention further relates to a new and improved head band particularly useful for mounting to a head-protective helmet.
By way of example, firefighters' helmets are known to the prior art which include an outer shell, an inner impact cap or inner impact attenuation shell mounted to the interior of the outer shell, a cradle or web of head straps which extends into the inner impact cap and is for engaging the head of a wearer of the helmet, and a head band for being fitted to the head of a wearer of a helmet. Such a firefighter's helmet is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,339 entitled FIREMAN'S HELMET WITH ENERGY ABSORBING LINER, patented Sep. 1, 1981, Peter A. Coombs inventor; this patent is incorporated herein by reference as if fully reproduced herein. The firefighter's helmet disclosed in this patent includes an outer shell 10 in which is mounted an inner non-resilient foam liner 20, sometimes referred to in the art as an inner impact cap or shell, a head band 40 attached to the liner by an adjustable system of holes and snap buttons 44, 45 on tab extensions 46, and a cradle of head web straps 32-33 mounted to the inner impact liner or cap 20 by a tube 25.
Another firefighter's helmet including in the above-noted firefighter helmet components is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,016 entitled PROTECTIVE HELMET ASSEMBLY INCLUDING RELEASABLE HEAD RETAINING ASSEMBLY, patented Sep. 3, 1991, Christopher E. Coombs inventor; this patent is incorporated herein by reference as if fully reproduced herein. The helmet components of the firefighter's helmet disclosed in this patent are mounted together in substantially the same manner as the elements of the firefighter's helmet disclosed in the above-referenced 4,286,339 patent, except that additionally a plurality of retaining clip members 70 are mounted to the brim of the outer shell 12 and engage the rim 42 of the foam liner or inner impact cap or shell 26 to maintain the inner impact cap within the outer shell below a predetermined load exerted on the inner liner by the head straps engaging the user's head due to a blow or load being applied to the outer shell. The helmet disclosed in this patent includes an adjustable head band 32 lined with a sweat band 34; the head band 32 is attached to the foam liner 26 by an adjustable system of holes 36 and snap buttons 38.
As taught in detail in the above-referenced patents, the inner impact cap or foam liner and the manner of mounting the cradle or web of head straps to the inner impact cap or shell attenuate or absorb impact energy or force transferred to the wearer's head upon, for example, an object striking the outer shell.
While the firefighters' helmets disclosed in the above-referenced patents have performed well, there still exists a need in the art for a new and improved head-protective helmet which may be advantageously embodied as a firefighter's helmet, or other helmet of the types noted above, and which head-protective helmet includes a single mounting means for mounting the firefighter helmet components together. And, while the head bands disclosed in the above-referenced patents incorporated herein by reference have performed well, there still exists a need in the art for a new and improved head band which is particularly useful for mounting to a head-protective helmet. There also exists a need in the art for a mounting member which is particularly useful for mounting head-protective helmet components together.